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March 8, 2018

Board of Trustees Approves Collaborative Model for Pitt–Titusville’s Future at Winter Meeting

During its annual winter meeting, Pitt’s Board of Trustees approved a new vision for one of its regional campuses, acknowledged recent faculty and staff honors and advanced key construction projects. The full board meeting was held Feb. 23 in the Assembly Room of the William Pitt Union.

Collaborative Education, Training the Future for Pitt–Titusville

Addressing the future of the Pitt–Titusville campus, multiple board members approved a plan to create a vibrant, multi-institution education and workforce training hub that will serve that campus’ six-county region.

The proposed Education and Training Campus Hub will operate as a shared campus, providing a range of education and workforce training programs administered by collective partners. The campus hub’s collaborative design will streamline services and concentrate expertise while lowering operating costs. It also will offer partners greater latitude in tailoring education and training opportunities to meet regional needs.

With the board’s approval in place, the University will begin working with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as community, business and public sector groups to establish three founding partners for the Education and Training Campus Hub. These three core partners will be the University of Pittsburgh as well as a to-be-determined training center and community college.

The University has already received proposals from potential founding partners, including the Manchester Bidwell Corporation, Butler County Community College and the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College. Pitt will now take steps to formally secure the campus hub’s founding partners and initiate discussions with additional potential partners.

“The vision approved by the University’s board members today describes an innovative new approach for how Pitt, working with the community and region, can better support education and workforce development,” said Chancellor Patrick Gallagher at the meeting. “As a community — and with the University of Pittsburgh as a founding partner — we will invest in growing skills and scholarship while also enhancing the economic stability of the region. It’s an exciting win-win opportunity for all involved.”

Patricia E. Beeson, provost and senior vice chancellor, praised the broad collaboration between the city, county and commonwealth, saying the proposed new direction is an exciting move for the community of Titusville and the region as a whole.

“This new concept will include a Pitt presence but also include the strong presence of other partners working together to ensure student success,” said Beeson. “We cannot achieve this vision, though, without the active engagement and support of the Titusville and Crawford County region, as well as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

Chancellor Acknowledges Recent Faculty, Staff Honors

As part of his address to the board, Gallagher recognized faculty and staff members who recently received notable honors. Among them were the 11 Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching, Research and Public Service Award winners, who were formally recognized later that day at the annual Honors Convocation event. Other recognitions noted during Gallagher’s address included the following:

  • Three faculty members were recently elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the world’s leading multidisciplinary scientific societies. They were Karen Arndt, a professor in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Biological Sciences; Rory Cooper, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology; and Chandralekha Singh, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
  • Cooper was also featured as a “Health Hero” in O The Oprah Magazine. As director of Pitt’s Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Cooper oversaw the development of a lighter-weight manual wheelchair, a power wheelchair that can handle curbs and a wheelchair that can be submerged in water.
  • Donald Yealy, chair of emergency medicine and professor of medicine and clinical and translational sciences, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, considered one of the field of medicine’s highest honors.

Property and Facilities Committee Advances Projects

At a public meeting of the property and facilities committee on Feb. 22, construction projects within the Cathedral of Learning and the Stephen Foster Memorial were approved. The projects carry a total cost of $8.2 million.

Projects in the Cathedral of Learning will focus on the building’s 22nd and 23rd floors. Structural work will include space-efficiency expansions for offices and other shared spaces, renovation of three classrooms, improvements to restrooms and lobby areas and accessibility enhancements for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance. Equipment installations will include a new hot water system, central air conditioning units and energy efficient lighting. The project carries an estimated total cost of $5.8 million.

The Stephen Foster Memorial project includes a number of updates to enhance ADA compliance. Additions will include a new three-stop elevator to serve both theater lobbies and the floor level of the Henry Heymann Theatre, renovations to the lobby area and Heymann Theatre and the replacement of an existing ticket booth and addition of a second booth. These projects carry an estimated total cost of $2.4 million.

 

Contact:
Anthony M. Moore, amm114@pitt.edu, 412-624-8252

 


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